Manchester United face the most important 10 days of Erik ten Hag's reign

Just as Erik ten Hag solves one problem for Manchester United another crops up.

After an underwhelming start to the season with just six points taken from their opening two matches, United and Ten Hag are already playing catch up. By modern standards, it has been a rather sedate beginning to the Premier League season.

United and their rivals have not (yet) had to lace up their boots for a midweek match, but all that is about to change for one good reason. Ten Hag steered United back into the Champions League during his first 12 months at the helm and dates for their European diary have now been inked in. They have been handed, perhaps, the most difficult start at the Allianz Arena against England captain Harry Kane and his Bayern Munich teammates.

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Had things turned out a little differently, the 30-year-old former Tottenham talisman would be sharpening up his shooting boots to gun down Bayern with United rather than the other way around. It was, though, always tipped to be a tall order to deal with Daniel Levy.

FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray are on stand-by to upset those two European heavyweights and progression to the knockout stages is by no means a foregone conclusion. United will have to improve on the early performance levels from this season to give themselves a fighting chance.

It's really not all doom and gloom, though. After striking impressive business in the market - snapping-up Andre Onana, Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund and Sofyan Amrabat (on loan) among others - those additions still need time to bed in